A Perfect Pair
by smacky30
Summary: Begins just after Unbearable and covers Grissom's sabbatical and him showing up in Costa Rica. A song fic using Kelly Clarkson's My Life Would Suck Without You.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Not mine. None of it. Not Grissom, not Sara, not CSI, not even the song. **iz sad****

**A/N: Many, many thanks to losingntrnslatn and mingsmommy for their help. I appreciate it more than I can ever tell them.**

**"Asshole!"** Sara screamed as she pulled out of the lab parking lot and turned her car towards home..

Once again she had let the man get under her skin. How did he do it? How did he manage to take her from walking on clouds to belly crawling through the mud with just a single sentence, a sideways glance, a well placed gesture? Two weeks ago she spilled her guts to him about her family, her darkest secret, while he held her hand and wiped away her tears. Just a couple of days ago they had been laughing and flirting in the layout room. Then yesterday…_yesterday_ he took Sofia out to dinner. He spent the entire last shift avoiding Sara and then she had to hear the reason from Greg.

Stopping at a red light, she tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. "He's such an asshole. Could he take _me _out to dinner? No!" Sara huffed out a laugh. "He can play true confessions with a killer but he can't be seen in public with me."

When the light turned green Sara was staring into space, as images of Grissom and Sofia together played like a bad movie in her mind. Resisting the urge to flip off the driver behind her when he blew the horn, Sara stomped on the accelerator and shot through the intersection. Reaching out, she turned up the volume on the radio, hoping the music would drown out her thoughts.

Guess this means you're sorry  
You're standing at my door  
Guess this means you take back  
All you said before  
Like how much you wanted  
Anyone but me  
Said you'd never come back  
But here you are again

**GSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSR**

Sara ignored the quiet knock on her door. She knew right away it was him. No one else ever darkened her door. But if he thought he was going to drag himself over here after his _date_, give her some lame apology and that she was going to forgive him he was wrong. Dead wrong. Grissom was a smart man. A genius even. Surely he couldn't be that stupid.

The second knock was a little louder, a little more insistent. So she turned up the volume on the television. _Nothing like listening to the women on The View at a sound level equal to a rocket launch_, she thought. Settling back on the sofa, Sara let out a disbelieving snort when her cell phone began to ring. It clicked to voice mail then her land line started ringing.

Even over the grating sound of Joy Behar's laugh she could hear his voice coming from the answering machine. "Sara, I know you're in there. Open the door. I think you have…" The machine cut him off with a click.

This time he pounded on the door. _His hand's gonna hurt_, she thought with a satisfied smile. _Serves him right._ Again the phone started ringing and she just laughed.

His words were quieter, but now she could hear the anger riding just beneath the calm. "If you don't open the door I'm going to call Jim and tell him I think you're hurt. Tell him I'm worried. I can get a whole lot of people over here and…"

With a huff of breath, Sara pushed up off the couch. Unlocking the deadbolt, she threw open the door. "What do you want?"

Grissom stopped in mid-rant. His blue eyes seemed to burn her with the fire of his anger. Snapping his cell phone closed, he said, "I'd like to come in."

"And I'd like to win the lottery but the odds are against it." Sara stood in the doorway, one hand on the knob the other fisted on her hip. "_What do you want?_"

"I _want_ you to stop jumping to conclusions. I _want_ you to listen to me and not every rumor you hear flying around the lab. I _want_…you!" He spat the last word, hard and furious.

Eyes wide with shock, Sara took a step back. For a few seconds after Grissom had brushed past her, she continued to stand the in doorway. Finally, she turned. "You want me?" Her voice was deceptively calm.

He rounded on her, his hands clenched into tight fists at his sides. "Didn't you hear what I said?"

"Oh, I heard you all right. I'm just not sure I understood you." Sara faced him, fury carrying her forward until they were almost nose to nose. "Because, you see, generally when I _want_ somebody," she sneered, "I don't take somebody else out to dinner."

"No. You go to movies with them instead."

Each syllable slammed into Sara like a fist. She couldn't remember ever having a real argument with Grissom before and she was surprised to find out he could fight dirty.

"Get out." Her voice shook but she didn't back away from him. When he only shook his head, she gestured toward the door, "Get out, Grissom. Just leave before we both say things we can't take back."

Grissom shook his head again. "If this is the only way to get you to listen to me then I'm staying."

"I've been listening for years. But you haven't had much to say." Anger flashed hot and bright in her chest. "Just tell me one thing. Why her?"

His eyes skimmed over her face. She could feel his gaze on her skin. She could see the pulse pounding in the hollow of his throat. And somehow she knew that right in that very moment everything in her life was about to change.

"Is that what you really want to know?" Grissom's voice was a whisper and she strained to hear him over the blaring television.

Sara opened her mouth, but the lie caught on her tongue. "No."

"Ask me, Sara."

Tears filled her eyes. "Why not me?"

Grissom's eyes were locked on hers, his voice so quiet she had to strain to hear him. "Because you make me feel too much…want too much. And that scares the hell out of me."

He moved then. Faster than she thought possible. One second he was staring into her eyes and the next he was kissing her. His hands cupped her cheeks and his mouth moved hungrily against hers. His tongue slid across her bottom lip before plunging into her mouth. And Sara's knees went weak.

She couldn't think. He was kissing her like he had every right, like he had been doing it for years. And she couldn't think. Anger and frustration and white hot lust blossomed out from the middle of her chest, until it filled her whole body. Hands that had fallen limply to her sides when he first pressed his lips to hers now came up to grip his shirt. She twisted the material between her fingers and held on.

Hard. He was hard for her. That one thought ran through her mind. But she couldn't hold onto it. Instead, her body took over. Instinct and need had her pressing against him, grinding, seeking. A sharp ache burned between her thighs. A sharp ache that needed to be satisfied.

When Sara dreamed of this moment her dreams were nothing like this. They were full of romantic declarations of love, followed by a sweet, almost chaste first kiss. They were vivid pictures of the two of them taking hours to discover each other. But Sara realized, even as Grissom moved them toward her sofa, the first time he was inside her was going to be rough and hot and everything she wanted right now.

He was lifting her shirt now, his hands brushing over her skin, skimming the sides of her breasts. With a quiet groan she pulled away from him and together they worked it over her head. Sara tugged at him, pulling him back for another kiss. But, with a quick grin, he dipped his head and ran his tongue over her neck. Her entire body reacted to the sensation and she let out a hiss of pure pleasure.

Her hands were fumbling at the buttons on his shirt, the release of each one bringing her that much closer to touching him for the first time. When the last one finally slipped free, she shoved the material off his shoulders and ran her hands over the smooth, warm skin she found underneath it. With fingertips so sensitive she was sure she could feel every pore, she touched him. The thickness of his chest, the slight softness of his belly, the dip of his navel, the broad plane of his back, the well defined muscles of his shoulders and arms, she skimmed her hands over him like a blind woman reading Braille, cataloging every inch. _More_, her mind screamed, _oh God more_. When his mouth closed over a nipple and his hand slid between her legs to rub her through her jeans, she gasped.

"Jeeeeee-sus," Sara dug her fingers into his shoulders. "Feels so good."

With a quiet pop he pulled his mouth from her and gave her a look she never expected to see on his face; pure male pride and something…tender. As quick as it came, the look was gone and he was sucking her other nipple between his lips, grazing it with his teeth, while his fingers kept up a steady rhythm between her thighs.

Desperate for his touch, Sara fumbled with the button and zipper of her jeans. The want was a living thing coiling and pulsing in her belly. She was walking a tightrope between pain and bliss and she needed him skin to skin. When she had her pants open, she grabbed his wrist and, unable to tell him what she wanted, helped him work his hand past the elastic of her panties. His short nails scratched the silky skin of her abdomen. Then he was touching her, his fingers rough and needy against her wetness. He cupped her, rubbed her, pushed her closer…closer. Until he slid a finger inside her.

The first wave hit her and she sagged against the arm he had wrapped around her waist. Her moan was low and seemed to go on forever. Her entire body pulsed in time with the muscles that gripped him. She could feel her heartbeat thundering in her chest; feel her lungs gasping for air. It was the most intense, most perfect moment of her entire life.

Slowly, her eyes fluttered open, and she saw him watching her. His eyes were navy blue. And in them she could see what it cost him to hold on to his control.

"Wow," she managed before he kissed her again.

His mouth was harder, more demanding, possessive and desperate. His finger pumped in and out of her in a slow, steady rhythm, keeping her off balance. Somehow she managed to work her pants and panties down over her hips. Then, with a gentle tug, she moved his hand and dropped to her knees.

Glancing up, she saw him watching her as she tugged at his belt, as she unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. Hooking her fingers in his waist band, she slid them down until they pooled at his ankles. His erection bobbed free. The smell of him, earthy and primal, swirled around her. With a hum of approval, she reached out and touched him. Velvet. That's what he felt like. Soft and hot and throbbing in her palm.

Sara wanted to taste him, wanted to feel him filling her mouth. She wanted him at her mercy. So she leaned forward and slowly, gently, slipped her lips around his hardness. She was surrounded by Grissom; the sounds he made, the scent, the taste, the feel of him hot and hard against her tongue. His hands fisted in her hair and he made a helpless noise that slid over her like a caress.

Moving slowly, Sara savored him. His sweet, salty flavor. The weight of him. The way he stretched her. The fingers of one hand feathered through the soft curls surrounding his erection while the other moved between her own legs, pushing her need back to the boiling point. She breathed in his musky scent. Her tongue slipped along his length, teasing him, taking him as close to the edge as possible before pulling him back.

"Sara," he rasped, "You're killing me." He tugged at her hair and she lifted her head. "Come here."

She stood and he kissed her, his tongue sweeping through her mouth, swallowing her groan. And he was pushing her down on the sofa, covering her with his body. He was between her legs, his body heavy and solid against hers. Then his hips pushed forward and he pressed into her.

Sara's eyes slammed closed and she bit her lip as her body stretched around him. She heard his hiss of air and a low moan slid from her lips in response. When she looked up at him, he was watching her with such intensity she was sure he could see into her very soul. She wanted this moment, this one single point in time, to go on forever. It was everything she had ever dreamed and more.

He began to move. His hips rocked gently against hers. Sliding, ever so slowly, in and out, out and in, until she wanted to cry at the exquisite feelings rolling through her body. Lust and love tangled together inside her. She was lost in him and she knew he could see it in her eyes.

With a soft smile, she let her eyes drift shut. "That's so good," she whispered against his ear.

With a groan, Grissom increased his pace. Sara wrapped her legs around his hips, rocking to meet his thrusts. He was no longer the gentle lover of her dreams. He pounded into her, letting his need drive them forward. And Sara clung to him; her hips rising and falling, taking him deeper and deeper.

The air was thick, heavy; hard to draw into her aching lungs. Their sweat slickened bodies moved together as if they were made for each other, just like she had known they would. His mouth slid over her cheek and then he was whispering in her ear. Telling her how good she felt, how wet and tight she was, how he was going to come inside her.

With his head thrown back and her name on his lips, Grissom exploded. Sara felt the heat of it, the hard pulses. With a sob, her fingernails digging into the hard muscles of his shoulders, Sara followed him over the edge.

Time had no meaning. The two of them simply lay together, still joined, with his head resting on her shoulder. Eventually, Grissom rose up and looked at her. Brushing her hair off her forehead, he placed a soft kiss on her mouth.

"I didn't mean for this to happen. It's not why I came here." He eased off her and sat up. "I…"

Sara cut him off. "Please don't say you're sorry."

Running a hand through his hair, he shook his head. "I'm not sorry it happened, Sara. Only that it happened this way."

"Well," she reached out and threaded her fingers through his, "I've never done anything the right way."

He squeezed her hand, tugging it up to place a kiss on her knuckles. "God, aren't we the perfect pair?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Still not mine.**

**A/N: A huge thanks to mingsmommy and losingntrnslatn. They always manage to make me better - no matter how hard I fight them.**

"Hey." Grissom's voice was quiet, tentative. "My cab's here."

Sara turned to look at him. It was useless to ignore him. She knew he needed to do this and that he needed her to let him go.

"So, you're going." It wasn't a question. All the questions had been asked and answered, all the tears shed. There was nothing left for her to say. So, she fought back the urge to go to him, to kiss him and ask him to stay. Instead, she focused on getting through that one moment without embarrassing either of them.

"Yeah." His eloquence seemed to have disappeared. His eyes were on her, and he looked…sad. How was she supposed to let him leave when he looked so sad?

"I'll see you when you get back." Sara turned and grabbed her gun from her locker. Every cell in her body wanted him to leave. _Just go. Now._

Instead, he stepped further into the room. Looking over his shoulder, he checked the hallway. Then, with his hands held rigidly at his sides, Grissom said, "I'll miss you."

Sara simply watched him. The words stuck in her throat, the air trapped in her lungs. Her heart was breaking and there was nothing she could do about it. She tried to smile at him and failed miserably. Without another word he was gone.

Maybe I was stupid for telling you goodbye  
Maybe I was wrong for tryin' to pick a fight  
I know that I've got issues  
But you're pretty messed up too  
Either way, I found out I'm nothing without you

"I've been asked to teach a class and I've accepted." Grissom carefully put the plate in the dish washer.

"That's great!" Sara smiled and walked over to wrap her arms around his waist. "Although, the two of us being on different shifts is going to put a serious crimp in our bedroom time."

Instead of the answering smile or the kiss she expected, he just pulled her close, hugging her tight. "It's not at WLVU, Sara."

At first she thought she had misunderstood. Surely, he had said it _was_ at WLVU. Quietly, calmly, she asked, "What did you say?"

Releasing her, he stepped back. His fingers plowed through his hair, making the soft curls stand on end. "It's not at WLVU."

"Where…where is it?" Sara asked the question even though she knew she wouldn't like the answer. Inside she began to tremble.

"Massachusetts." He wasn't looking at her now, staring down into the empty sink instead. "Williams College."

Determined to keep him from seeing the hurt, Sara plastered on her biggest smile. "Great. That's great."

He actually looked relieved. Could he not read her any better than that? After two years couldn't he see that she was lying? Or did it just not matter?

"When are you leaving? May? June?" Even to her own ears her excitement sounded faked.

Without so much as a blink, Grissom said, "Next week."

She stared at him. Something in her mind, some little voice told her it was all a dream. She was going to wake up and he would be spooned behind her, his hand on her stomach, his right leg between hers. His breath would be steady against her shoulder. Hank would be snoring from his spot at her feet. Yeah. That's what it was. Just a dream.

He reached for her and she jumped. "Don't." Backing up, she couldn't take her eyes off him. "Don't touch me. If you touch me I'll know it's not a dream, that it's real."

"Sara, please…"

"I can't talk to you right now." She was frantically digging in her purse for her keys. Wrapping her hand around them, she walked to the door.

He was behind her then, his body warm and solid. "Please don't leave this way. I didn't mean to-…"

Again she cut him off. "You didn't mean to what? To spring this on me? To make a decision like this without even discussing it with me?" Her calm was slipping, burning away in the face of her fury. She turned around, pushing against his chest. "Well, 'didn't mean to' doesn't cut it."

"I'm sorry." Grissom stepped back.

"Sorry," she laughed. "You're sorry? Well, I guess that makes everything all better. Good. Great." She barked out a laugh, sarcasm dripping from every syllable. "Let's go to bed."

His cheeks flushed and she knew it was a sign his temper was rising. But she didn't care. He had no right to do this to her, to act as if she didn't matter. He couldn't just decide to go away for months and then tell her about it like it was an afterthought.

"I need to do this." Grissom's voice was deceptively calm. "Surely you can try to understand."

This time Sara barely managed to hold in a sob. "Oh, I understand. Really. You need a break…from this." She waved a hand back and forth between them. "But you could have told me sooner."

Grissom's anger boiled over. "This isn't about _you_, Sara. It's about me. It's about work. It's about watching Ernie Dell blow his brains out." He seemed to deflate before her eyes. "It's about not being able to breathe in this town anymore."

"You could have told me all that." Sara's eyes closed and she fought against the ache in her chest. "You _should_ have told me all that."

"I've always dealt with these things on my own."

She shook her head, tears shimmering in her eyes. "You know, Gil, I have my own issues but you…you are fucked up, too."

When he simply stood there staring at her, Sara shook her head and moved through the door. It closed behind her with a quiet click.

"Asshole!" She choked back a sob as she backed out of Grissom's driveway.

Two years, _two years_, they had been together. Not inseparable, but together, ever since that day on her couch. She should have seen this coming. After all, neither of them was good at relationships. It was just a matter of time. If she was honest, Sara would admit she was surprised she hadn't been the one to break first.

So, considering all that, why did she feel like somebody had sucker punched her in the stomach? Why was she finding it hard to breathe?

When she got home, Sara went straight to the shower. Then and only then did she let the tears fall, crying beneath the pounding water until she felt clean both inside and out. Then she slipped into her favorite pajamas and pulled a beer out of the refrigerator.

This time he didn't knock. Instead, Sara heard the key rattling in the lock right before he pushed it open and walked inside.

Curled up in her favorite chair, Sara took a long swallow from the bottle that dangled from her hand. "What do you want?"

Moving over, he sat on the corner of the couch. "To explain."

Her lips twitched in what might have been an attempt to smile. "No explanation needed. I get it."

"No. You don't." Grissom pinched the bridge of his nose the way he did when he was fighting a headache, and Sara tamped down the urge to offer him comfort. "You think this is about you."

She chuffed out a laugh. "Isn't it?" He looked at her then, and she could see the pain in his eyes. Pain he had hidden from her. "Isn't it about you not trusting me enough to tell me before it came to this?"

"I do trust you."

"You trust me like you trust Nick or Warrick. And that's not the kind of trust I mean." She was calm, so very calm. All around her the world was coming to an end and she was calm.

He leaned back, his head dropping onto the back of the couch. He stared at the ceiling. "God, Sara, I really suck at this. I knew I'd suck at this."

Instead of answering, she merely watched him. Why hadn't she seen the lines around his mouth, the bags under his eyes, the slump to his shoulders? How had she missed all the signs?

"We both suck at this." She finished her beer and rose to get another. "You want a beer?"

Grissom lifted his head, a bemused look on his face. "Yeah. That would be good."

"You know," Sara began as she handed him the bottle, "I wish I could blame it all on you. It would make this easier."

"Make what easier?" When she didn't answer, he continued in a ragged whisper, "Are we done, Sara?"

Hearing the quiet resignation in his voice, Sara gave a rueful grin. "No. We probably should be. But, no."

They sat for awhile; her in the chair and he on the sofa, Sara lost in thought. Grissom regarded her with a silent wariness. When he had drained the last drop of beer from his bottle, he stood.

"I guess I should go."

Sara rose and took the bottle from him. "Stay," she said, carrying the empties to the recycling bin.

"Sara," Grissom rubbed a hand over his mouth, "I'm not sure that's a good idea. Not today."

She walked over to him and took his hand in hers. "It's late. You've been drinking. We're tired. Just sleep here."

"Are you sure?" He sounded uncertain and just a little bit cautious.

"I'm sure." She tugged him after her down the short hallway and into her bedroom.

They had just settled down, his hand on her stomach, his right leg between hers, when he asked, "Why do you put up with me?"

Snuggling back against him, she murmured, "Because no matter how hard it is to be with you, being without you really, really sucks."

'Cause we belong together now, yeah  
Forever united here somehow, yeah  
You got a piece of me  
And honestly,  
My life would suck without you


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: A very huge thank you to losingntrnslatn for her help on this one. She rocks!**

**Disclaimer: Not Mine!**

Being with you  
Is so dysfunctional  
I really shouldn't miss you  
But I can't let you go  
Oh yeah

"You asshole," Sara whispered, "We didn't have to end this way." She was curled in her bunk aboard the Sea Shepherd, a picture of Grissom and Hank clutched in one hand, a soggy wad of Kleenex in the other.

"Sara?" The soft voice of her bunkmate, Karen, had her sitting up and running a hand through her disheveled hair. "Are you in here?"

Karen Jackson was a thirty year old widow who had just obtained her PhD. She had listened to Sara cry herself to sleep for about a week before coming right out and asking why. For reasons she still couldn't fathom, Sara had let the whole story spill out. Karen had a knack for listening and for knowing just what to say and when to say it. Having her as a friend almost made up for the friends Sara left behind in Vegas. Almost.

"Yeah," she choked out. "I'm…uh…I'm here."

Karen took one look at her and dropped to the bunk beside Sara. "What's wrong? Did he write?"

Sara shook her head. "No. And that's the problem." Her smile was rueful.

"Oh, honey, I'm so sorry." She wrapped an arm around Sara's shoulders and gave her a squeeze. "Anything I can do? Besides go to Vegas and cut off his…"

"No!" Sara yelped, a laugh tangling with the word. As quickly as it came the amusement fled. "I just, I miss him so much. Every day I see a thousand things I want to show to him, then I turn around and he's not there." Tears streamed down Sara's already raw cheeks, the salt burning her sensitive skin. "And my heart breaks all over again."

Karen slid a hand up and down Sara's arm. "I wish there was something I could do. But you have to work this out on your own. You have to grieve for him. Only you can know when you're ready to let him go."

**GSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSR**

_"Hello from below the equator, in Puerto Ayora. We've been at sea for over a month now. Man, you wouldn't believe the crew - students, activists, scientists - the dinner conversations alone are mind blowing. And there's even this marine biologist that reminds me a little bit of you. I wish that we could talk in person but this is the best that I can do. I want to apologize for being out of touch. I've been thinking about us a lot, though, all the moments. I thought we could survive anything. This trip has given me a lot of clarity. That last year in Vegas, I could barely breathe, let alone think but now, for the first time in a really long time, I'm happy."_

"Before I left, you said some things that I tried not to hear but now...I think you were right. If a relationship can't move forward, it withers. I've been waiting for you to decide but sometimes not making a decision is making a decision."

"Anyway, what I'm trying to say is, you don't have to worry about me anymore. I'm good. I'm really good and honestly, I think it's better this way."

**GSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSR**

Grissom took a final look around. The refrigerator and freezer were open and empty. Sara's plants were at Catherine's. Hank was with Brass. The place was empty. Oh the furniture was still there; the pictures and throw pillows still scattered about. But the things that made it a home were gone. The laughter and warmth had been missing since he came home from work to find Sara gone – again.

Standing there, looking down into the living room, he remembered how happy Sara had been when they moved in. Her moans echoing through the empty space when he'd pinned her against the wall and kissed her until neither of them could think. He could hear the rattle of her key in the lock and the click of Hank's nails on the floor as he ran to greet her. He could see them cuddled on the couch as he kissed away her tears after that case with the showgirls. Her laughter. Her soft snores. Her sleepy mumbles when she snuggled against him just after the alarm went off.

Now there was only silence.

With a ghost of a smile playing around his mouth, he picked up his bag and left, locking the door behind him.

**GSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSR**

"So, I hope this is the Grissom I've heard so much about." Karen laughed when Sara jumped, and in the process pulled away from the bowlegged, sweat stained man she was kissing.

Shooting her friend a glare, Sara licked her lips. "Uh…yeah." Stepping back, she kept an arm around Grissom. "Gil, this is Karen. Karen, Gil."

"It's nice to meet you," Grissom said, smiling at the petite blonde.

"Yeah. I've heard a lot about you." Without taking her eyes off Grissom, Karen said, "Sara, why don't I take the camera?"

"Thanks. We need to uh…" Sara gestured vaguely in the direction of the research tent. She passed the camera to Karen and turned to lead Grissom around the structure and down a trail that led to the team's sleeping quarters.

"I don't think she likes me very much." Grissom followed Sara down the narrow path.

"Sorry about that. She's a little protective."

"It's okay." Grissom squeezed her hand. "I understand."

About twenty yards from the research tent, the path opened up on another clearing. Nestled along the tree line were the tents. Raised wooden platforms provided a level surface for sleeping, while the tents stretched over them provided protection from the elements. A single step led up from the ground to the platform.

Sara stopped and unzipped the net door on the front of the tent. "She just…she was my bunk mate when we were on the ship." Ducking through the doorway, she stepped up on the wooden platform. "You can put your things in here."

Grissom followed her inside. Dropping his pack, he stood in the center of the floor and watched her. He had no idea what he was going to say. He had composed a speech with all the things he wanted to say to her on the flight from Vegas. But he couldn't remember a single syllable. Once again, she rendered him speechless.

"So, you're here." Sara gave him a tight grin that failed to reach her eyes.

"Sara," he took a step forward, "I…"

Shaking her head, she wrapped her arms around her waist. "It's great. Really. We can always use the help." She turned her head left and right. "Have they told you which tent is yours? Which number? Because there's room in here if you want." Running a hand through her hair, she added, "You don't have to. Sleep in here. I just thought…"

"Sara," Grissom gripped her shoulders, "Sara." When her words trailed off, he smiled. "I don't care where I sleep as long as you're nearby." His lips settled on hers then, in a kiss filled with the promise of forever.

When he finally pulled back, tears trembled in her eyes and her voice was husky with emotion. "What are you doing here, Gil?"

His eyes filled with everything his heart was feeling, Grissom murmured, "It's where you are."

"What about the lab?"

"I quit." He ran a hand down her cheek, brushing away an errant tear with his thumb. "I thought it was time I made some changes."

She gave him a watery smile. "Wow, when you make a change you really make a change." He chuckled and she sobered. "Are you sure?"

"I couldn't stay there. Not without you." He ran his hands down her back until they were resting just above the swell of her ass. "Before you, I never had anybody to share things with. And, I missed it. So much." He tightened his arms, hugging her close. "If this is what I have to do, this is what I'll do. You are the one thing that makes the rest of it worthwhile."

Sara's smile was luminous. "I'm so glad you figured that out. Because no matter how rewarding this is, no matter what I said in that video, my life sucks without you."

"I've said it before," Grissom answered her smile with one of his own; "we're a perfect pair."

This time, she was the one who kissed him.

'Cause we belong together now, yeah  
Forever united here somehow, yeah  
You got a piece of me  
And honestly,  
My life would suck without you


End file.
